You Never Know With Her
by GreenMaureen
Summary: Everyone knows that the female District Six tribute in the Quarter Quell was a morphling addict. But what was her name, where was she really from, and what caused her to turn to the drug? This is her story, told by her younger sister.
1. Reaping

It's nine in the morning when I wake up on Reaping Day. I stare around the room before getting up. Normally I would be in school now, but I have until two. Sleeping in is the only good thing about today.

I can see the whole attic from my pallet. Star and Sandria are asleep next to the ladder. Only Felette is awake, sitting in the patch of sun from the skylight that serves as our only window up here. She's writing something- maybe doing homework, maybe drawing, you never really know with her. She's the mysterious one in this family. I feel bad for her sometimes- she's seventeen, two years older than me, and she doesn't really fit in. She showed up abandoned on my parents' doorstep, a tiny three-year-old with coppery red curls and wide gray eyes. My parents took her in, but she doesn't look like one of us- my other sisters and I have chestnut hair and blue eyes. And we all sleep late, except for her.

It's just as well that the attic doesn't have any windows. District Six is not a pretty place to live. The streets are gray and lined with plain concrete buildings where most people work. The Square has all the stores and the Mayor's house, and it's the only part of town deemed fit to be televised. The Capitol people like to think their trains and cars are manufactured in a nice, clean place, not a mass of crumbling buildings. At the outskirts of town, the houses are scattered like marbles, sometimes spreading into the woods, I spend most of my free time either at my house or in the square with my friends, because the streets… well, there are some distinctly unpleasant people wandering around.

I lie in my pallet, not wanting to go downstairs and face my parents. They'll be overly emotional about the reaping. It's not like I'll get picked. After all, it's Felette who has her name entered twenty-two times. Felette who was asked by our parents to take tesserae five years ago, and neither volunteered nor disagreed but simply did it. Not once or twice, but multiple times over the years, whenever we hit hard times. Because, after all, she was indebted to them.

I somehow manage to doze off for another hour or so, and then my mother is calling up the stairs for us to get ready for the reaping. Star and Sandria spring up and we all go into a flurry of getting ready. The twins are twelve- it's their first reaping- and they hide their nerves with extra energy. Soon we're all dressed- Felette in a charcoal- colored skirt and pale grey blouse that both used to belong to our mother (but Felette is swimming in them because she's smaller), me in the faded blue dress and shawl I've worn for two years now, and the twins in my hand-me-down dresses, same as the one I'm wearing except one is gray and one is blue. "Braid my hair, Sophie?" asks Star. I brush out her long chestnut locks and twine them into a pattern reminiscent of a fish's tail. I'm the family hairstylist; when I was younger I had a dream of moving to the Capitol and being a wealthy stylist. That almost seems embarrasing now. I'll be lucky to get a supervisory job in a hovercraft assembly plant.

I finish Sandria's hair, then my own. Then I remember Felette. "Can I do your hair, Felette?" I ask. She looks confused, but nods. Her hair is too curly for this, but on something like my fifth try I get it into a coil and pin most of it up. Loose pieces frame her face, and I think that maybe she is the prettiest one in the family. But who cares? It's time to go to the reaping.

I may be fifteen years old, almost old enough to work and support my family, but the streets scare me. It's not really the streets; it's the people on them. District Six's secret side industry of medicine produces a lot of drug addicts. They look more like puppets than people, lurching through the streets on jerking legs. Their eyes are hollow and empty, and their lips stretch into gaunt grins. When I was small, I was terrified to walk to school because of them. My parents couldn't help me; they had work. It was Felette who came to the rescue. She would take my hand and force me to walk tall. She may be strange, but she's always been a good older sister to me.

Today it's Felette again that leads the rest of us to the reaping. She walks with her head held high, ignoring the terrors around us. When we arrive at the square, she leads us through the check-in and guides the twins to the gate that leads to the twelve-year-olds' section. She kisses each one on the forehead and turns to me.

"Sophie… I'm going to get chosen."

I freeze. "What? Why would you say that? You're twenty-two slips out of thousands. You won't!"

She gives a strange little laugh. "That doesn't matter. They know my secret."

"What secret?"

"I can't tell you here. But in case I don't come back… I'll give you a hint. Think about our parents… They're not bad people, Sophie. The way they've treated me… There's a reason for it."

I shake my head. Felette can be so strange. I make my way to the Fifteen section. There's a long speech by Mayor Isard, then the Treaty of Treason. The pack of bored teenagers is beginning to stir. Jostling through the crowd, I find one of my friends, Giuli.

"Hey," she says.

"Hey," I reply. What else is there to say- "Happy Hunger Games"?

" -And may the odds be ever in your favor!" concludes the escort, Severa Aster.

I'm beginning to get nervous. Mostly for Felette, surprisingly. It hits me at this moment that she really has twenty-eight entries, as she would unquestioningly volunteer for me or Star or Sandria. The selfish relief that I am safe blocks out everything else for a moment, and when I look up I hear "Arthur Ravel! and see a scruffy middle-school age boy making his way to the stage. I missed the female tribute? My eyes flicker to the stage.

And then I nearly pass out, because it's Felette.

She stands with such poise. She shakes hands with the scruffy boy. "District Six, your tributes! Or should I say, our tributes! Felette Rotori and Arthur Ravel!"

And Felette doesn't even look scared. Who could imagine what she's thinking right now?


	2. Returns and Reactions

~One Week Later~

One week. They gave us one week off from school, and my parents from work, to "adjust".

Meaning, of course, to prematurely grieve for Felette.

My parents have spent the week talking in hushed voices, falling silent whenever Star or Sandria or I entered the room. At least they have each other. At least my younger sisters have each other. I have no one.

Today I have to return to school. I've spent the week trying to prepare for this—for the whispers and stares. But really, the only thing that would help is for everyone to just pretend this isn't happening. And of course that's impossible. I'll just have to do my best to ignore it.

It's surprisingly easy to get up in the morning—much easier than it was one week ago. Classes should be a welcome distraction from wondering where Felette is and what's happening to her, so I wake up earlier than I normally would, almost excited. I take extra care with my appearance, donning a clean, ironed blouse with a flowered skirt. I spend at least twenty minutes pinning up my hair so that no stray tendrils fall into my eyes. I even clean my shoes, drawing attention away from the fact that the tawny leather is so worn that the soles have nearly disintegrated.

My parents are both at work by now, so I quickly make my way to the kitchen to have a bite to eat before anyone else comes in, wanting to avoid one of those painful non-conversations that have occurred so often over the past seven days. I scarf down the bread and cheese left on the table, then return to the attic to wake my sisters.

By seven-thirty, we're all ready and standing by the front door.

"Well… I guess we're ready to go, then," I say.

They stand there, looking like a pair of six-year-olds that don't want to admit they're in trouble.

"Okay?" I persist. "You guys don't want to be late, right?"

They exchange a glance, and Star finally speaks up. "It's just… the streets. Felette isn't here to walk us to the school, and I don't want to go without her."

I bite my lip. I've been so worried about the horrors Felette must be enduring in the Capitol that I've forgotten about the horrors of District Six. But I musn't let that show. "We'll be fine. Those people are just ill from the drugs. They don't really want to hurt anyone."

"Promise?" asks Sandria.

"Promise," I reply.

I slip my school bag over my arm, take each of them by the hand, and lead them outside.

The walk to school is as harrowing as usual, but only just so. No one approaches us, and we arrive unscathed. I leave my sisters and walk to my classroom with my hands shaking.

The moment I enter, Giuli runs over to me. "Oh, Sophie! It's so brave of you, coming back so soon! It's so good to see you!"

I mumble that it's nice to see her too, that it's good to be back, while wondering why she's acting so strange. After all, it's not like I haven't seen her all of last week. She brought me my schoolwork every other day, and she acted as normally as you could expect then.

The bell rings, and everyone hurries to their seats. I'm glad to sit down, as I'm afraid that my knees might give out and I might collapse on the floor in front of everyone. The teacher begins making announcements, and I tune her out as people I might consider my friends surreptitiously wave at me. I return their greetings, thinking that everyone seems to be acting oddly, though maybe I've just gotten unused to people.

Then one of the announcements catches my attention. "And finally, let's all show some support to Sophie, Star, and Sandria Rotori, as they cheer on their older sister in the Hunger Games."

Everyone is staring at me. What should I do? I stare at my newly scrubbed shoes as my face reddens and my eyes flood with tears. Whose idea was this? Finally the teacher begins collecting our compositions from last week and talking about some obscure point of grammar.

The morning goes fairly well, after the humiliation of the announcements. I stay silent, taking notes on everything the teacher says. At lunch, I am forced to endure that odd behavior from everyone at my table, but I manage to put on a smile and tell everyone how proud I am of my sister. In the afternoon, I even raise my hand to recite a math equation. The walk home is no worse than this morning, and I manage to engage Star and Sandria in some superficial conversation about a test they had and how difficult it was. I do my homework with minute attention to detail, rechecking every grammatical error and math problem. Dinner is quiet and uneventful. My sisters and I play a card game until it's time to sleep.

And this continues for a few days. I'm doing well in school, my friends are still acting strangely, and I'm fine with that. I've almost forgotten that I used to have a sister named Felette.

Then one night my mother turns on the television, and all that changes.


	3. Opening Night

**A/N: Well, I finally updated this c:**

**Sorry this chapter is so much shorter than the previous ones. The next one will be longer. And sooner. Really.**

**Comments? Questions? Annoyed at these sporadic updates? Leave a review, s'il-vous plaît.** ^_^

**~Elph**

It's Opening Night. Blast, I forgot all about it. And everything was going so well—well, as well as it could go. My family is frozen in place—my father's stopped whistling, my mother's dropped her sewing, I've forgotten my schoolwork, the twins are quiet for once. The hum of the decrepit television projector seems deafening, but no one moves to turn it off.

The Capitol seal fills the screen and the anthem starts. As the camera pans out over the City Center, I recall watching the Opening Ceremonies as a child. I thought then that it was really a costume pageant. I'd gaze with awe at the beautiful and sometimes silly outfits the "big kids" wore, trying to decide which one I'd choose, given the option. Felette always played along with me, even when she was old enough to understand what it was really about. Already trying to protect me at that young age.

We all stare at the screen as the chariots cruise, one by one, down the boulevard. The wealthier districts have their usual beautiful, metallic costumes. I watch with mild interest as teenagers parade by dressed as fish and power-plant workers. When the chariot from our district appears in the distance, my mother makes a small choking sound and runs out of the room. My father looks around helplessly for a moment, then follows her. I'm sure there's some noble explanation for this—wanting to remember Felette as herself, not as the Capitol's creation—but at the moment, I realize that I can't leave; that I have to stay for my younger sisters. Sandria buries her face in her hands and starts to cry, while Star keeps watching. The chariot's approaching faster now. The costumes are visible—I can see the drape of charcoal-colored silk over the girl's willowy frame. They're close enough now for me to see the metal railroad-style rivets that accent the costume's shoulders and skirt, the embossed fake utility belt, the headdress meant to represent a sweatband.

And then I see the girl's face, and she's not Felette.

Oh, she looks very similar. She's got the hair, the wide gray eyes, the delicate pointed nose. But the features, the composition, are all wrong. I scrub my eyes with the inside of my wrist and look again. Nothing changes. It's still not her.

I glance at my other sisters. Sandria is still in a state of collapse. Star, though, has noticed the same thing I have. I meet her eyes and I know she knows. I give her a look that says, not a word. Not to Mother or Father, not to anyone at school. Not even to Sandria. We know something we're not supposed to, and if anyone finds out, we could get hurt.

And if Felette's not in the Capitol, _where is she?_


	4. Into the Woods

**AN: So much for updating soon… My plans were foiled by crazy end-of-the-year events. Hope this chapter is worth the wait!**

I wake up early the morning after the opening ceremonies. It's a Sunday, but my mind is too active to allow me to take advantage of the opportunity to sleep in. I glance over at the twins. They're both deeply asleep. They probably won't wake up for hours. I wonder briefly if Star has kept her silent promise not to tell her twin about Felette's doppelganger. She'll have to if she wants to protect the family, but I hope this doesn't drive them apart.

I find myself with nothing to do. Normally I would spend my day off sleeping in and then going into town to find some work cleaning or doing someone's laundry or repairing a wealthier person's house. I would sometimes spend a few of the coins I earned on a treat- a new hair ribbon, or some candy- and bring the rest to my mother to pay for food. Then I would help with the usual chores until nighttime.

Item one is off. And it's too early to look for work in town. I decide to go out anyway and take a walk. I can stay near the outskirts and avoid the drug addicts, who are probably out and about already. I throw on some old secondhand trousers and a tunic, with an old and patched coat to combat the early morning chill. I put on a cap over my unruly hair and quietly descend the stairs.

When I walk outside, I immediately start trekking towards the piney woods that stretch from the outermost houses to the border. I used to explore them with my sisters as a child, and I want to see if they've stayed the same. I want something to have stayed the same. I want to remember a time when I was happier.

I walk for a while, enjoying the smell of the trees and the calls of birds and my memories. Distantly, I hear the bell on the Justice Building chime eight o'clock. I'll have to turn back soon, to go home and get ready for the late morning's work. Then something catches my attention. I'm not sure what it is, but the light from behind the cluster of trees in front of me doesn't look right. It looks like there's a clearing behind it. I really want to check it out, but I need to get back and work if I want any spare coins this week. I sigh and turn to leave.

Before I'm a few yards away, I stop. If I don't see what this is, I'll wonder about it all week. And I don't need another mystery.

Feeling like an idiot, I start walking toward the wall of trees again. Getting through them requires some interesting footwork, as the ground is covered with ferns and toadstools. I trip over a root and go sprawling, cursing my stupidity as I stand up. But in front of me is something I never expected.

It's a cluster of shacks, like the beggars' hovels in town, only more weatherbeaten. There must be five or six of them, in a space slightly smaller than the town square. In the center, there's a crumbling stone building with a domed top, about the size of my family's house. There are a few wells and patchwork vegetable gardens, and a small fire in a dirt patch is being tended by a child of nine or ten.

"Hello," I call out, and then instantly duck, panicking. I have no idea what I've walked into. What is this place? I shouldn't have drawn attention to myself. There could be Peacekeepers or worse coming after me right now. With this in mind, I start scrambling back through the wall of trees… And then the back of my head explodes in pain, and I black out.

"She should be waking up by now, Selda. I think you hit her too hard." A man's voice, nervous-sounding.

"Bah, Tern, you worry too much. She'll be fine. It's us we've got to worry about. What do you think she is? A Peacekeeper? A mutt?" This one's female, possibly middle-aged.

"Don't be ridiculous. Look at her tattered clothes, her obvious lack of nutrition; she can't be from the Capitol. And if she was a mutt, you wouldn't have been able to knock her unconscious."

"I've taken down mutts before. And I will again. Just give the word."

I can hear, but I can't see. My eyelids feel like stone blocks. And I'm terrified, but still sleepy.

"If you gave her a concussion or worse, Sel, you're going to have to apologize."

Worse? I hope I'm not worse. I have to get home and work… I slowly force my eyes to open, but it's dark and I can't see much. I think I'm indoors though.

"Where am I?" I try to ask.

The man, a skinny, copper-haired fellow, clears his throat. "Ah, good. You're awake. As for your location…"

The woman, who is at least six feet tall and built like an ox, glares at him.

Copper Hair continues, "I'm not sure if Selda here is willing to trust you with that. But rest assured, we're not going to hurt you."

Selda the ox-woman gives me a look. "We will if we have to."

Copper Hair says, "Selda, I think we'll be fine here without your help. I'd just like to ask this girl some questions." The ox-woman grunts and walks out, letting in a flood of sunlight as she pushes the door open. Now I can see my surroundings much more clearly: I'm on a makeshift cot in a small shack. To my right is the door; at my feet is a fireplace; to my left is a dividing curtain. Woven rugs hang on the walls and rest on the worn wooden floor.

I sit up, swinging my legs down and finding that my feet can touch the floor. Copper Hair looks a bit taken aback by my sudden movement. "Hello, ah, I'm not sure if I properly introduced myself. I'm Tern, or some people call me Doctor. I'm a healer and sometimes an architect and general planner. Would you mind telling me who you are?"

"My name is Sophie." Why didn't I use a false name? Oh well, too late now. "I was taking a walk and I just sort of wandered into this place… can I please leave?" I realize how suspicious my story sounds.

Tern squints at me, trying to decide if I'm telling the truth. "Well… I suppose you can leave, but first I have a few questions for you."

I'm getting nervous again. "Uh… okay. What do you want to know?"

"Where did you come from?"

"District Six. I mean, the town. I guess I'm still within the border of it, I didn't cross any fences."

"You weren't looking for this place?"

"No! I saw the clearing, and I just wanted to see what was here. I don't even know where I am now."

"Hmm… well, I guess you could call it a 'refugee camp'. And I believe your story. I want to let you leave and go about your business. But what if the authorities in Six find out you were here and question you?"

"I won't tell them! I won't!" Am I going to be imprisoned here? I'm near the point of tears.

Tern sighs. "Well, my only options are to keep you here or trust you. Selda would want me to kill you, but I haven't the heart to slay a child just to keep her quiet. And if I keep you here against your will, too many things could go wrong. You could run away, someone could come looking for you… it's just too dangerous. I really have no choice but to let you go."

"I won't tell anyone. You have my word."

"Well, if you feel like you can walk, go ahead. I'm assuming you know how to get back, if you got here?"

"Yes. Thank you. I can find my way back."

"Goodbye then." He gestures to the open door, and I slowly stand up and leave.

The walk back takes much longer than it did this morning, or maybe it just seems like it. The sun is overhead, so it must be near noon. The wind has picked up, and I wrap my jacket tighter. I can't imagine what I'm going to say to my mother, and I still have a pounding headache.

Finally, I reach my house. I walk in, but no one is here. Am I really so lucky? My mother and sisters must be out running errands. I hurry into a faded old blue dress and pin the cap back over my still uncombed hair. There are coins to be earned, but my mind won't be on the work. My thoughts are still whirling in my head, and one keeps surfacing over and over. _I have to go back to the camp_. I must be out of my mind. But if there are people living outside the Capitol's influence…

I have work to do. But I know I'll return as soon as I can.


	5. In the Square

Another week of school.

It's gotten easier since last week. I've done my work more thoroughly than ever, and my friends are treating me almost the same as before. Giuli was the first to speak to me normally. I suppose that since she knows me the best, she was the first to realize that acting as if I had a contagious and deadly illness would not help.

I'm still missing Felette, of course, but I haven't cried over her in days. I've been consumed by the mystery of where she actually is. I can't discuss it with anyone: If I talk to Star about it, she will probably be unable to keep it from Sandria. I can't risk having other people find out. But tonight is interview night, so my parents and anyone who personally knew Felette will probably figure it out soon anyway.

My parents turn on the television. The projector hums and then goes out. I feel a rush of relief. If we can't watch this, my parents will be safe for a while yet. My father sighs. "Coats on, everybody. Looks like we're going to have to watch this in the square."

No. We can't be in public when my parents react to Felette's disappearance. If they act surprised, other people will wonder why, and then they'll find out she's gone. If they hide their shock, or if they really don't notice and someone else does, there will be suspicion that they have something to do with this whole mess.

I can't change my father's mind, though. Resigned, I pull on the old patched coat and hat I wore to walk in the woods last week. I'll admit, despite my age, I'm afraid to go outside in the dark. But at least I'll be with my family this time.

We walk briskly to the town square, tripping over broken chunks of concrete in the unlit street. When we arrive, there's already a crowd of people who don't own a television or who like to treat the Hunger Games broadcasts as social events rather than mandatory programming. I hope to blend in with the crowd, but people recognize my family and part readily for us. I cringe as strangers and acquaintances murmur their condolences. I end up standing next to Giuli and her younger brother Gian, and their parents. This is not an ideal situation, as they know our family fairly well—my father works the same shift as Giuli's—and will probably recognize both Felette's disappearance and my parents' reaction to it. But I can't just walk away, because Giuli is my friend and I would appear rude and draw suspicion if I left.

The broadcast has already started. The anthem has already played, and Caesar Flickerman is wrapping up his opening speech. I absently stare at this strange man, with his huge, blue-white teeth and sprayed-on skin tone. His hair, eyes and lips are electric violet. What is wrong with him? How can he sit around decorating his face and talking on and on about the children who are about to be slaughtered for his enjoyment?

The interviews start. The first two districts, the Career ones, are as forgettable as ever, attempting to simultaneously flirt with and intimidate the audience. Three is a misfit as usual, with two shy, skinny children who have to be coaxed to say anything at all. Four is more Careers. Five is just like Three. Is it my imagination, or are the interviews getting shorter as they progress toward the one I'm dreading?

The boy from Five finishes his interview with a nervous wisecrack and an forced, awkward grin. The audience in the Capitol applauds. The audience in Six shifts and murmurs amongst themselves. I feel like I'm going to snap in half. The camera pans toward the entrance door to the stage.

There's a distant boom. In Six, not on the screen. People in the audience turn to each other and whisper, _What was that?_ As Giuli turns to ask me that exact question, the screen flickers. It comes back for a second, and I can see a tall, thin female form walking onto the stage. Then it cuts into white and gray snow, and we hear Caesar saying "From District Six, Felette Rotori!" and then static. I hold my breath, waiting for the image to come back, but it doesn't, and the screen goes black at the same time as the streetlights go out, and we're plunged into darkness.

Next to me, Gian whimpers, and Giuli shushes him. My hand automatically searches in the dark and clamps down on Star's wrist. It's a blackout. These are rare in Six, as we have mild weather and are right next to Five, where they produce the power. Also, the Capitol considers our electricity a priority, as they rely on us for lifesaving medicines. So if there's a complete blackout here, and I think there is because I can't see lights in any of the main buildings, it means that something has gone very wrong.

My father's voice. "I don't think the power's coming back. We should head home." Easier said than done. I can't see a thing, and we're trapped in a square full of confused, slightly panicky people who also can't see.

The emergency generator rattles and hums to life. The streetlights are back on, at half-power. The dim yellow glow makes everyone look like morphling zombies, but now we can all see enough to get out of the square.

Star and Sandria look terrified. The last time this happened, they were too young to remember. I keep my hand on Star's wrist because visibility is still poor, and we walk back home through the now-crowded streets.

It's slow going, because everyone is in a tizzy from the unexpected disturbance, and it's very late by the time we get home. The electricity in our house and on the whole street is still off when I drift off to sleep, so it must be serious. Hopefully, crews from Five or the Capitol will be around soon to repair the damage. It's a good thing tomorrow's Sunday, because I plan on finding out what, exactly, just happened.

And I know where I'm going to go to get my information: The refugee camp. I have a strange feeling that they had something to do with this.


	6. Into the Woods, Again

AN: No, I haven't abandoned this story! It's just been a crazy summer.

**Anyways, I've realized that I don't like the title of this story. It's boring, it's vague, it really doesn't have a symbolic meaning. The problem is, I can't think of a good title! Thus, I am asking for suggestions from my loyal readers. If you think up a clever title, let me know in a review.**

**Psst… If you do, I will not only credit you for it, but I might be a bit more inclined to review your stories. Everyone has an ulterior motive…**

When the sun wakes me up, my first instinct is to roll over and go back to sleep.

I really need to sleep after last night's craziness, but that's not my first priority. With that in mind, I slowly drag myself out of bed and try to stretch the fatigue out of my muscles. I silently dress in the trousers, coat and hat that have become my adventuring outfit. This time, though, I throw my work clothes and a comb and hairpins inside my old leather schoolbag. Tiptoeing into the kitchen, I fill a flask with water and take a slice of stale bread to eat on the way. This time, I'll be prepared to spend the whole day out. And since my work clothes will be missing from the house, my mother will assume I've left early for town.

It's a beautiful morning. The sky is navy blue and the frosty grass crunches under my feet. The walk through the woods is delightful, and I can almost forget why I'm here.

This time, I smell the refugee camp before I see it. The smoke is detectable from far away. It doesn't smell bad, though—they must be burning wood rather than coal. I make my way through the clearing again and, predictably, trip over a root. I go sprawling and land painfully on my hands and knees.

"Hey!" A child shouts at me. I look up to see a young boy (or maybe a girl?) with choppy coffee-colored hair and several missing teeth crouching a few yards away from me, next to an overturned basket of grayish mushrooms. "What are you doing here?"

I try to think up a good answer, but my brain is frozen. "Um…"

Before I can say anything else, or run, the child runs off. "Auntie! Auntie!"

I stand and try to brush the dirt off my hands and knees. I feel like an idiot. I spent all my time anticipating coming here, and none planning what to do when I did. I want to run away, but I need answers, and if there's anywhere I can get them, it's here. I start planning what I'm going to ask these strange people: _Do you know about why the power was cut last night? Do you know where our female tribute went? Why is the Capitol trying so hard to cover up her disappearance?_

I shut my eyes, wishing I could turn back time and actually plan this out. Or turn back time and somehow stop Felette from being called into the Games. I start running scenarios in my head, each more preposterous than the last. There must have been a way to save her from the reaping without actually volunteering myself…

"HEY! WAKE UP, FEATHERBRAIN! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING HERE?" Just my luck, it's Selda. I turn to run, but she grabs me by the shoulders and spins me around to face her. I struggle to escape, but it's pointless. Her hands are approximately the size of roasted chickens.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO COME BACK! DID YOU BRING SOME PEACEKEEPERS WITH YOU, GIRLY? DID YOU?" She jerks my shoulders so it feels like my neck will snap. Someone is screaming. It must be me. "ANSWER ME, OR I WILL SNAP YOUR NECK LIKE A TWIG!"

She's still shaking my shoulders, and I can't get a word out. "ANYTHING TO SAY? OR SHOULD I JUST KILL YOU? YOUR CHOICE!"

"Selda! Stop!" It's a woman's voice. Selda throws me to the ground, and I lie there shaking.

The new woman comes over to me and crouches down. She looks like Selda, but with brown hair and kinder features. "Are you all right?"

"Ye-es." My voice isn't coming out right.

"I'm Telma. Do you need medical care?"

"I don't thi-ink so."

"All right then. How did you find us?" Her voice is not cruel, but urgent.

I manage to sit up. There's a small crowd around us, maybe twenty people. I recognize Tern among them. How long have they been here?

"I was walking in the woods a while ago. I found this place by accident. I didn't tell anyone."

Tern clears his throat. "She wandered in last week. I couldn't bring myself to kill her, so I let her go if she promised neither to tell nor to return.

Telma stands and glares at him. I have a feeling she's a leader here. "You didn't report this?"

He looks uneasy. "Ma'am, it was not a major incident."

She holds his gaze. "We can discuss that later. Right now, we must decide how to proceed."

A bearded man steps forward. "Easy. We silence her. Sounds like this brat broke her word once. Who knows if she'll do it again?"

"That's one solution," says Telma. Oh no.

Tern interrupts. "No! She's a child!"

The bearded man replies, "And we all know you're biased in matters of children, Tern, considering past events." Tern looks like he might cry or strangle the man. A thin, pale woman puts a calming hand on his arm.

"All right, that's enough. Everyone will get a vote. What do you propose, Tern?"

"We let her go! She obviously didn't tell the Peacekeepers, or they'd be here already. I think we can trust her."

The child I saw earlier, who is now clinging to her "auntie" Selda, pipes in. "You said she broke her word! My ma taught me that if someone breaks their word to you, you can't ever trust'em." Selda shushes the child, but the crowd starts to mutter.

Telma almost smiles for a moment-it must be her child-but then she regains her composure. "Thank you, Hari. All right, so far our suggestions are to kill the girl or to let her go. Does anyone else have a proposal?"

Tern's companion-his wife?-raises the hand that isn't on his arm. "We could adopt her into the camp." This sets off a new round of muttering.

Telma raises a hand for silence. "Then we have our options. Time to vote. All in favor of killing the girl?" Hands go up, Selda's and the bearded man's among them. Oh no. I don't want to die. Why am I such an idiot?

"That's eleven. All in favor of letting her go?" Please. Please. But the only hand that goes up is Tern's. A few people smirk.

"One. All in favor of keeping her here?" Some hands. I count them. Ten. Not enough. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I start shaking again.

"Eleven." What? I look at Telma. Oh. The leader gets a vote as well.

"We now have a tie. This would call for the least popular option to be eliminated and for everyone to vote again. I'm assuming no one is going to switch sides, so it all comes down to you, Tern. Should we kill the girl or keep her here?"

"Keep her, of course."

Telma looks at me. "Well, your fate's been decided. What's your name, by the way?"

"Sophie."

"Welcome to camp, Sophie."

The crowd starts to dissipate, and I don't know where to go. I decide to go to Tern, who is walking away with his wife.

"Sir! I mean, Doctor Tern, please wait!" They both stop and wait for me to catch up. His wife tries to smile, but it doesn't reach her eyes. "I don't believe we've met."

"I'm Sophie. Well, you know that now."

"Indeed. My name is Sarine. My husband told me about you, though he swore me to secrecy. If you don't mind, what are you doing here?"

"Well, last time I found this place by accident, but this time I came to… ask some questions."

"What questions might those be?" says Tern.

"Well, you guys live outside the districts. I thought you might have access to information they hide from us."

"As a matter of fact, we sometimes do. But why should we tell you?" says Sarine.

I feel like I might cry again. "I don't know. I'm sorry."

"Well, you're part of the camp now. We might as well," says Tern.

"Okay, well, the power went out in Six last night." Was it only last night? "Do you know why?"

"No. But you came all the way here to find out why the power went out?" says Tern.

"It's a long story. I think they were trying to hide something."

"Like what?"

"My sister was reaped for the Hunger Games…" And I just let the words pour out. I've wanted to tell someone this story for such a long time.

Tern and Sarine listen intently. When I finish, Sarine puts a hand on my shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

Tern raises an eyebrow. "What did you say her name was?"

"Felette. She's adopted."

Sarine gasps. They exchange a look. I want to ask why, but I barely know them.

"We should get you a place to stay," says Tern, with a smile that seems forced. "You can sleep in the observatory. You should probably sort that out now." He points to the concrete-domed building in the center of the camp.

They walk briskly away without saying goodbye. I don't know what to do, so I go to the observatory. The round, concrete building is maybe thirty feet in diameter and mostly deserted right now. It has counters that remind me of market stalls at home, and areas with rough wooden chairs and tables. Apparently, it's used as a sort of multipurpose building—indoor meeting space, trading post, spare bedroom. I marvel a little bit at the ingenuity of these people—they've found a way to survive and even thrive outside the tyranny of the Capitol.

The young woman running the trading post lends me a blanket and tells me to claim a space on the observation deck. I thank her and climb the crumbling spiral stairs. There's no one else up here, and I'm nervous about sleeping in an empty room, especially with the light-emitting hole in the ceiling where ancient scientists used to watch the stars. The stars aren't out now, of course. It's barely the afternoon.

I spread the blanket on the clammy concrete floor and sit down. Was it really only last night that I stood in the Square with my family?

That's when it hits me. My family. They have no idea where I am. I have no way of communicating with them. If I try to escape, I'll be caught—I'm sure Selda is prepared for that. I'm still not sure exactly who these people are, except that they've escaped the reach of the Capitol. That's all well and good, but they're not planning to let me leave. I don't want to spend the rest of my life here!

This is a nightmare. This can't be happening. I've done all of this just to find out what happened to Felette, and I still don't know.

But I think Tern and Sarine do.


End file.
